Happy 2019! Wherever you are in your family dinner journey, we’re happy to have you at our table.

This year will mark an exciting time for The Family Dinner Project, as we look forward to several new projects, including a book! Our collection of stories, advice, and of course lots of food, fun and conversation, is slated for publication by Familius Publishers in the fall of 2019. We owe our thanks and affection to all the families we’ve learned from over the years. Many of their stories are included in the book or have inspired our tried-and-true advice to families in other ways.

Speaking of stories, that’s part of the great power of The Family Dinner Project — the storytelling it inspires. From gathering around your own tables at home to share stories with your families, to sharing your triumphs, challenges and experiences with us so that others can learn from you and recognize themselves in your words — family dinner inspires people to open up. Here are just a few ways telling your stories can have a positive impact on others:

• When families share their stories with one another at the table, kids experience an increase in resiliency. They feel more connected to their family history and are more able to bounce back after bullying and negative experiences.
• When adults tell stories that feature a positive outcome — how something good resulted from something negative or challenging — they experience a boost in their own sense of well-being.
• Family challenges — such as difficulties with dinnertime or feeling frustrated by poor communication at the table — can feel isolating. Reading the stories of other parents who have experienced similar difficulties is a good reminder that you’re not alone, and that there are solutions out there that have worked for other families like yours.

Thank you for being a part of this powerful community, and keep the stories coming in 2019! To share your own family story, contact us.

Family of the Month

In celebration of our upcoming book, we’d like to thank the many families who have agreed to let us share their stories with a wider audience. There are too many to list, but here are three of the stories that inspired us as we worked on our upcoming manuscript.

The Walter Family

The Aaser Family

The Swanson Family

Food

Looking for a quick, nutritious and budget-friendly option for the New Year? Try this low-cost twist on breakfast for dinner!

Shakshukah

Fun

Keep the storytelling going with the Story Starters game.

Story Starters

Conversation

Prompt a discussion about family history with this conversation starter.